Omaha City Councilman Pete Festersen, a Democrat, has dropped his bid to challenge Republican Rep. Lee Terry in Nebraska's 2nd District, according to a national Democratic source.

Festersen served as the poster child for House Democrats' candidate recruitment spree during the government shutdown in October. The source said he is leaving the race for personal reasons, but also noted that Festersen's fundraising and campaign did not meet expectations. "You have to respect family reasons like this, even when it’s frustrating and disappointing — but the number of candidates stepping forward to take on vulnerable Republicans across the country makes clear this is an isolated, individual case," a national Democratic operative said.

National sources expressed a similar tone last week, when Wayne State Law School interim Dean Jocelyn Benson backed off a would-be challenge to Rep. Kerry Bentivolio, R-Mich.

Earlier Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named former State Department official Bobby McKenzie to its Jumpstart program.

The Omaha World-Herald first reported the news that Festersen dropped out on Monday.